The Thrive Diet: The Whole Food Way to Lose Weight, Reduce Stress, and Stay Healthy for Life

By Brendan Brazier

Summarized with permission of Da Capo Lifelong, a member of the
Perseus Books Group (www.perseusbooks.com). All rights reserved.

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Raw and Low-Temperature Cooked Foods

Food that has not been heated above about 118 degrees Fahrenheit is considered to be raw. High-temperature cooking and processing of food destroys the enzymes and nutrients that allow the food to be efficiently digested. Therefore, before the body can make use of cooked food, it must produce enzymes to aid in the digestion process. That takes work -- an energy draw that creates a nominal amount of stress.

There is some evidence to suggest that consuming too many processed, cooked foods for several years exhausts the body's enzyme-producing glands, resulting in poor digestion and assimilation of food later in life. This is one possible reason for the rapidity of signs of aging and disease -- food is no longer nourishing the body the way it once did, simply because it's not being digested the way it once was. Since raw foods have enzymes still intact, they are a vital component of a healthy diet.

Food cooked at a high temperature can also cause inflammation in the body.

Alkaline-Forming Foods to pH Balance the Body

The balance of acid and alkaline within the body is referred to as pH and measured on a scale ranging from pH 1 (the most acidic) to pH 14 (the most alkaline). A neutral or good pH balance is 7.35; maintaining this balance is vital.

An acidic body can lead to many health problems, including fatigue, obesity and serious disease.

When acid-forming foods are consumed (starting with digestion and continuing through to elimination), they produce toxins that the body must deal with. Refined and processed foods are, as you know, highly acid-forming, and devoid of any usable nutrients.  They lead to premature aging through cell degeneration.

Balanced pH plays a major role in building and maintaining bone health.

In addition to foods that encourage pH balance, such as vegetables and fruits, maintaining a positive attitude and setting time aside to do an activity you enjoy on a regular basis will promote pH balance within the body.

Other ways of encouraging alkalinity within the body are:

• Deep-breathing exercises
• Yoga
• Light stretching
• Meditation
• Any other activities you enjoy

 

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